Asheville, NC and the Biltmore Estate

If you are within a 6 hour drive of Asheville, NC plan on making your way to the enchanting, small city for a night or two-- for so many reasons, it's well worth it.

I'll start with the most well known draw...

 In just six years, between 1889 and 1895, George Vanderbilt  oversaw the building of the Biltmore, his French chateau style home amongst the rolling hills and forest of rural North Carolina. What strikes many visitors, is that because the Biltmore site was out in the middle of BFE, roads, factories and workers had to be built and brought in before construction on the house itself could begin.

The result is nothing short of amazing. It remains the largest privately owned home in the United States-- the Vanderbilt family emphasizes that the Biltmore is indeed a 'home'.

Living in Europe for so many years, we dragged our children to countless castles, UNESCO World Heritage sites and historic properties; Biltmore rivals them all. It is truly spectacular. The interior spaces are vast and sometimes opulent, but they are balanced by the more homey decor of the family rooms. The guide book points out that children were born, raised and played here-- and one gets a sense of that.

The grounds are extensive; a remarkable place to go on a rambling walk. In the warmer months, the manicured gardens are sumptuously colorful.

Aside from the house, there is the newly opened Antler Hill Village; a place to shop, eat, visit a black smith or tour the winery (I was surprised to learn that the Biltmore's winery is the most visited in the States).

Ticket prices to get into the Biltmore house, garden and grounds are steep. According to the time of year, they range in the low season (months after Christmas) $29 to after April 2, up to $59. If you are thinking that you would ever be able to visit again in the same year, buying the annual pass seems to be a good value; we paid $150 for our family of six to have unlimited access for 12 months (children under 16 are free with an annual pass holder).

Although tickets are expensive, I do think they are worth it, with one complaint: I didn't find enough information about the history, architecture or the Vanderbilt family included in the guidebook (free) or even the audio tour ($10 per person). They offer several guided tours that give more in-depth information, but at $17 per person for a tour, that felt like a bit of a rip-off.

We had dinner in Antler Hill Village at The Bistro. It was very good. We shared a pork terrine with pickled okra and toast points as appetizer, then I had a Parmesan, smoked artichoke and sun dried tomato risotto, while my husband had the lamb special (featuring meat reared on the estate). We both had a glass of wine from the winery and our bill came to $70-- had we not had wine, our bill would have been just $55. The food was very good (although I liked the risotto better than the lamb) and we both felt that this was good value for money.

We stayed at the Inn at the Biltmore-- an outstanding property. It is a solid 4 star, probably missing its fifth star only because of what it lacks in some amenities, not ambiance or decor. The public spaces are grand, but decorated with warm fabrics, wallpapers and furnishings that make it comfortable, like you are staying in a very, very wealthy friend's home. The setting is gorgeous (again-- those fabulous foothills) and the atmosphere polished.
My only complaint about the Inn was the spa-- it was very small (nice, just small) and expensive ($205 for an 80 minute massage) and it offered none of the thermal rooms, saunas or steam baths that are de rigueur now in finer resort spas. Also, the pool: Outdoor only (closed in the winter) and fairly small.

On to Asheville: beloved by hippies and foodies alike, as well as artists and outdoorsmen. It is a charming small city, not so much for the architecture, which in places is a bit dated, but for it's 'vibe'. Asheville is a place that people seek out. You'll meet people from all over the country who specifically came to live in Asheville -- they want to be there. This gives the city a sincerely positive feel.

Restaurants abound from homestyle, southern specialties to classic French, to some seriously good vegetarian. We had lunch at Laughing Seed Café, a place that is consistently ranked as one of the top restaurants in Asheville, in spite of, or maybe because of, the fact that it is vegetarian. Although a carnivore, I can go veg pretty easily, but my my husband is convinced that he needs meat (!) to make a meal complete. That's what make Laughing Seed so good; even the most ardent meat eaters find something to enjoy. I had the falafel and Jeff had the polenta over salad-- Both were truly inspiring plates.

Asheville is a fabulous, laid-back long weekend destination. As a parent I can say that it is especially fun without children.

There are a million cool shops in Asheville, but two of my favorites are:
Mast General Store
Tops for Shoes

If you've been to Asheville and/or Biltmore-- please share some of your favorite places to visit/shop/eat/stay!

Slow Braised Pork BBQ

This recipe harkens back to the close to 100 community cookbooks I have collected over the years. Women's groups, Junior Leagues, churches, schools-- anytime I find a spiral bound community cookbook I buy it. One universal truth is that about 75% of all recipes in any single community cookbook contains at least one can of soup (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery... cream of something).
So, this recipe is less about cooking and more about assembling. And my Slow Food friends would not like it one bit, but my friends with kids will love it; it's easy, quick to throw together, kids love it and adults will like it.
Add some red pepper flakes in for heat, if you like.
It's not haute cuisine, but it sure tastes pretty good.

1 cup good quality hoisin sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke)
1 teaspoon BBQ seasoning (like McCormick)
1 small onion, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, halved
Couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 and 1/2 pounds lean, cheap pork, cut into large chunks

1) Mix everything except the pork up in a bowl. Pour into a large pot and settle the pork in there. Cover, bring to a very gentle simmer and cook on low, with just a few bubbles hitting the surface, for hours (at least 3). Can be done in a very low oven or the Crockpot all day on high.


2) When the pork is fork-tender, shred it.

Serve on soft white buns with loads of coleslaw ON the sandwich. Spoon lots of the cooking liquid over top of the pork.

Chasing Ham

Contributed by Pops...

I have always loved ham. Baked and served with fluffy whipped potatoes and a fresh green veg. Sliced cold for summer sandwiches with lots of Hellman's mayo and a fresh, red, ripe tomato slice. And especially, sliced very thin and warmed (not fried) in a hot skillet with a bit of butter, then piled deep on a real bakery made, white bun. Add a touch of mustard and enjoy.

When I was a kid we ate a lot of ham, a little beef and absolutely no chicken....ever. I did not taste chicken until I got married. And then I couldn't talk about it at my parent's house. Not only was chicken forbidden, but so was mentioning it. Another time I'll explain that, as well as it can be explained.

Anyway, back to the ham. Last week we drove to the largest Amish settlement in the U.S.. No it's not in Pennsylvania. It is in northeastern Ohio in Holmes County. We drive up there about twice a year. We always buy baby Swiss and black wax cheddar cheese at the Guggisburg cheese factory in Charm, Ohio. You probably can guess the name of the public school in Charm. I'm not making this up: carved in stone on the front of the building are the words, "Charm School"

But, I digress. While we are in Amish country we go to the town of Trail and buy a pound or two of Trail Bologna sliced thin for the best garlicky sandwiches you can imagine. Trail Bologna is hickory smoked and to die for. Then we drive on northeast to Winesburg, Ohio (that is really the name) and head for Winesburg Meats. And that brings us back to ham and to my youth.

Winesburg meats has the absolutely best dinner hams you can imagine. I am a big fan of true Virginia hams, like Edwards, but they are what I consider a flavor kicker, not a meal. There are a few butcher shops right around where we live where you can get a really good eatin' ham, but not as good as Winesburg's. There is something really special about Winesbug Meat's hams.

Well, today after church, I sliced some of that wonderful ham very thin. Then I warmed it briefly in a hot, buttered skillet, piled it on fresh, bakery made, buttered white bread, added just a touch of horseradish mustard and began to eat. That first bite took me back to when I was about 10 years old.

When I was 10 years old, my entire family (Martha, George and my sisters Pat, Gretchen and me) regularly drove from Akron, Ohio (where George worked during World War II), to Columbus, Ohio (which was where we were from and where all our family lived.) The trip took about three hours and without fail, we broke it with a stop in Wooster, Ohio for lunch. In downtown Wooster there was a store front restaurant that served hot ham sandwiches. Not fried ham--hot ham. You may not know that there was food rationing in the U.S. during World War II. Meat was rationed. Butter was rationed. Everything was rationed. But Wooster sits on the edge of Amish country and somehow, the little store front restaurant had plenty of ham. They had butter to put on the buns, too. Nothing ever tasted so good as those hot ham sandwiches.

Today after church I felt as though I had died and gone to Wooster. Another time, I'll describe the ham loaf we make when the ham gets down to pickins. We are having it tonight.